A Guardian's Tale
by The Loneliest Wanderer
Summary: Kylar is a hunter without a fireteam, that's about to change. Now he has to adapt to being part of team that none of them want to be in.
1. Chapter 1

A lone figure sat on top of a street sign in the ruins of The Cosmodrome. A hand cannon, one he took to calling Silence, on his hip and a rifle sitting next to him. The well-polished weapon shone in the fading sunlight. The figure took down his gray hood, removed his helmet, and sat it on the side opposite the weapon. He ran a wrapped hand through his spiked brown hair with a sigh, said, "Another day in this hellhole." His voice was quiet but firm.

A ghost appeared next to him.

"Fancy some reading, Kylar?"

"Sure. I think I will." _Of Mice and Men_ materialized in the man's hand and he opened to the frayed and yellowed page marked by his bookmark. The book was one of his favorites. He'd read it multiple times over, and he loved it more each time.

Off in the distance was the airplane graveyard. He could see the flickers of movement caused by the Fallen patrolling. He should go do something about it, but at the moment he was enjoying the sunset and a good book. Various oranges, reds, and yellows painted the landscape. With a hand gesture, the book vanished back to his immaterial inventory. He replaced all his equipment and dropped onto the ground, where a Sparrow waited for him. He hopped onto the hover-bike-esque machine and activated the heads up display inside his helmet. It pointed out a patrol mission in the area, so he figured he'd take care of that and then head back to the tower.

Upon approaching, the beacon sent its objective directly into his visor.

_Eliminate high ranking Fallen captain._

"Simple enough," he muttered. A marker appeared to guide him to his target, and his Sparrow made short work of the distance. Around the decrepit hull of a plane, a group of Fallen sat. They seemed to be guarding the area for some reason. The guardian couldn't see the usefulness of it, but decided not to worry about it.

A small mass of rocks provided just the vantage point he needed, and with the use of his double jump technology, he was at the top with no effort. He peered through the scope on his rifle to scan the area, but didn't see his target. He sighed.

"It's never fucking easy."

He drew his hand cannon and dropped to the rocky earth. He fired once and a dreg's head exploded, leaving nothing but sparks. The noise attracted the rest of the Fallen in the area, and they began to swarm him. Two more shots and two more Fallen on the ground.

_ Three more shots._ He thought. One of the most important things to remember was counting your shots. Missing a reload could mean death. Kylar pressed his back to a wall, most likely some piece of ruined machinery, when a grenade landed at his feet. He dove to his right and landed gracefully in a roll behind another piece of cover. He thanked whoever was watching for the abundance of cover around here.

Kylar peeked his head over his cover and saw his target. The word "captain" glowed a bright yellow above its head, marking it as stronger than the rest in Kylar's mask. He was flanked on either side by a vandal. They were also designated with yellow names.

"Time to silence the Fallen."

Kylar leapt on top of the waist high wall he was using as cover and propelled himself into the air. As he was directly over top of the enemies he pulled the pin on an incendiary grenade and dropped it. It landed in between the vandals and the captain. The captain was smart enough to dive away, but the vandals weren't as lucky. The grenade burst and flame erupted on the vandals. They ran and tried desperately to put themselves out, but failed. They fell to the floor, smoke rising from their charred remains.

Kylar landed easily and glanced around for the captain. "Where'd you go, you bastard?" A strong blow hit him in the back of the head. The captain's forearm collided with his head, staggering him. Kylar raised Silence and fired a few times at the creature, but its shields protected it from any damage. The captain swung again and Kylar ducked under this blow before letting loose the few remaining rounds in his gun. The captain's shield fizzled out. He was vulnerable. Unfortunately, Kylar was out of bullets.

Kylar drew his knife and quickly closed the distance between his and the captain. He aimed a lunge at its stomach, but it managed to avoid the strike. The two went back and forth trading blows, Kylar managing to deal enough damage to keep the shield deactivated.

The captain planted a strong kick into Kylar's stomach and he fell backward. One knee hit the dirt. The captain stood over him triumphantly with his weapon pointed in between Kylar's eyes. He stared down the barrel unflinching, determined to not fall to this creature. Kylar activated his double jump, soaring into the air. At his peak, he turned his body and threw his knife downward. The captain looked up to follow him, and the blade embedded itself in the monster's face. It fell backward with a thud, a small dust cloud rising where the body hit the ground. Kylar landed next to the corpse and retrieved his knife.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen." 

His ghost appeared next to him. "Seriously?"

"Shut up. I've earned the right to make a shitty joke."

"That's debatable."

"C'mon." Kylar said as he body sagged. "Let's go back to the tower. I'm exhausted."

Kylar walked out of his ship and into the hangar with his Ghost by his side. He made his way through the large open room and up to where the shipwright was. He gave her a nod and continued on his way. He turned to his right and made his way into the small lounge area. He fell onto the couch with a sigh.

"Oh, I needed this." He muttered as he stretched out on the chair. A few other guardians were conversing behind the counter on the far side of the room, but they weren't anyone he knew. Kylar took the time here to rest, at least until he felt as hand on his shoulder. Cayde-6 stood there.

"Come with me."

Kylar cringed. The vanguard for all hunters wanted him. He either did something really good, or really bad. He supposed he would find out soon enough.

The walk to the area where the vanguards stayed was silent, but Kylar couldn't complain. He always enjoyed the silence; that is why he named his gun after it. The room was empty, which was very surprising. He had never seen this room empty. There was always someone doing something in here.

"Wait here." Cayde-6 told me. So, he complied. After roughly five minutes, the other vanguards approached, each with a guardian on their particular class. The warlock was a human woman. She was a little shorter than he was, with blonde chin length hair and vibrant green eyes. Streaks of darker green face paint crossed from the left side of her face to the right.

The other was an exo titan. Its metallic head was white with a black streak going down the center, and there was a large "horn" on the front of it, which was also black.. He stood taller than Kylar, and was rather intimidating. Cayde-6 spoke.

"Kylar, Geirmund, Maya, meet your new fireteam members."

_Oh shit. _

**I know its really short, but bear with me. It just felt like a good place to cut it off. See you in the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Um, what?" The exo spoke. "I don't work well in a team."

"Neither do I." The woman, Maya, said.

Kylar decided to keep his mouth shut. There was no arguing with the vanguards. Especially on a fireteam creation. They must've taken their time with this decision. Cayde-6 confirmed his thoughts when he spoke next.

"Our decision is final. We recommend you take today to get to know your team members. You're scheduled for a match in the Crucible tomorrow."

The exo, Geirmund spoke again, "Crucible match?" His tone said that he was surprised.

Commander Zavala, the titan vanguard was indifferent. "Yes. The three of you are going to compete in a clash match in the Cosmodrome. The area 'Exodus Blue'" The vanguard finished.

Kylar looked from Maya to Geirmund, then back at the vanguards. "We'll see you then." He turned around to start walking out, "Let's go guys."

The other two looked at each other, confused, and then followed Kylar up the stairs to the main courtyard. Kylar kept walking until he reached the railing that overlooked the expansive city underneath them. The shapes and lights just seemed to go on forever. A thick hand landed on his shoulders, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What was that about?" The exo asked him.

"What was what about?"

"Leaving. I wasn't done talking to them." Geirmund was obviously angry. Kylar could see it in the way he stood. His fists were clenched and he was standing as tall as he could, trying hard to be intimidating. It worked, but Kylar worked to maintain his nonchalance.

"They're the vanguards. They know what they're doing, if they put us together it was for a reason. One that we don't and probably won't understand."

Maya decided to chime in after he said that. "As much as I hate to admit it, he's probably right. What could we do to change their minds anyway? We're soldiers, they're the brains."

Kylar nodded in agreement. Geirmund just turned and stalked off. "I'll be with the weaponsmith." He called over his back.

Kylar simply turned back around and leaned back over the railing. Maya did the same. "So, warlock?"

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah. So, hunter?"

"That's not the response I was hoping for."

"I know." Her smile grew.

"What's it like?"

She paused and her smile faded. "What's what like?"

"Being a warlock. I've always been curious. Titan's just an overgrown bullet sponge" He said, pointing a thumb back to where Geirmund was in a passionate conversation with the weaponsmith. Arms flew this way and that as their voices increased in volume.

He smile came back, but as a wisp of what it was before. "Honestly, it's incredible." A small orb of purple energy manifested in her hand. Kylar's eyes were drawn to the center of the spiral that spun within it. "And its terrifying." Maya's voice snapped him out of it. "To have that much power coursing through my body, the ability to destroy so completely, and this is only a fraction of my power. What if I was able to unlock all of it?"

Kylar wasn't sure what to do. People weren't his strong suit. He uncertainly reached a hand out and placed it on her shoulder. She looked up at him shyly and turned her head back to the city.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this." A small chuckle escaped her lips. "I just met you."

"I've got one of those faces. People can just talk to me." He said with a grin.

"So what about you, big bad hunter?" She turned so it was her back against the rail, and she crossed her arms.

It was Kylar's turn to laugh. "What about me?"

"How is it being a hunter?"

"There's nothing I'd rather be. When I'm on the battlefield I feel... At home honestly. With Silence in one hand and my knife in the other, I'm an artist, with the galaxy as my canvas."

"How poetic."

"Aw, shut up." He said. They were both smiling. "Let's go get gear-head. We can head back to Russia for some practice. Couldn't hurt." Maya nodded in affirmation and they headed up the stairs to meet Geirmund.

"I swear to you, the new model isn't as accurate as the old ones." Geirmund said as he slammed a fist down on the smith's table.

"That's a blatant lie and you know it. I made the schematics myself. There's nothing but improvements." The gunsmith's cold, monotone voice shot back.

"Geirmund, we're heading out, c'mon." Geirmund glared at the gunsmith.

"This isn't over."

"Damn right it isn't."

As the trio approached the hangar Geirmund spoke up. "Who made you leader?" Aggression enveloped his words with a hint of arrogance.

"No one, but if we're going into the Crucible tomorrow we need to learn to work as a team."

"He's got a point." Maya spoke up.

"Fine" Geirmund conceded. "But, I'll be damned if I let you lead us to our deaths."

"Why don't you have any faith in me?"

"Do you have any experience?" Geirmund retorted.

"Do you?"

"I do."

"And what happened to them?"

Geirmund froze. He stopped walking and his muscles tensed up. "You're lucky I don't break you right now."

* * *

Kylar realized he struck a nerve. He decided to leave it at that. He kept walking and climbed into his trusty Phaeton ship. The blue vessel was decorated with orange stripes along either side of the cockpit and shaped like an arrowhead. The other two got in their followed suit and then, they were in orbit.

The three ships met up in orbit around the Earth. "We got something called 'The Dark Within'. Sound good to you guys?" With their agreement, they headed off to Russia. Ghost gave them the debriefing as the entered Earth's atmosphere. They all dropped off on the coast, and Kylar, much to Geirmund's displeasure, assumed the leader role again.

"All right, we have to head through the Mothyards, which is the airplane graveyard, and from there into the Lunar Complex. Sound good?" They both nodded, and Ghost summoned their sparrows. The three of them set off for the complex, dodging Fallen and plane debris alike.

After riding for a few minutes, they pulled up in front of the building. Kylar let out a whistle as he gazed to the top to the building. "Taller than I expected." His thoughts were interrupted as a bullet whizzed past his head. "Fuck me. Contact!" He shouted as he dove behind a crate for cover. They were on a walkway about fifteen feet wide with a few more crates full of God knows what for cover. Kylar wasn't sure what they were up against. He didn't get a look before he came under fire.

"Captain!" Maya called out to her team. Kylar nodded and drew Silence. The cool silver metal felt right in his hand. Like it was fitted for his hand and his alone. He looked at the word he carved into the metal of the barrel, the gun's name. With an exhale he popped out of cover when Geirmund sprinted past him. His shotgun fired once, twice, and a third time, before the gunfire stopped. Kylar stepped out of cover to see the corpses of two vandals on the floor and Geirmund in the captain's grip.

The Fallen leader held the titan by his throat, his shotgun discarded on the floor. Kylar quickly put half of his cylinder into the captain's head, but its shield blocked all of it. Bullets came from Kylar's right as Maya fired her scout rifle at the creature. It dropped Geirmund and turned to face her, but was stopped in its tracks when Kylar's knife landed in its head. Its body landed next to Geirmund's on the floor. He sat up and rubbed at his neck.

"You all right?" Kylar asked as he extended a hand.

"Fine." Geirmund slapped his hand away and stood of his own accord. He hefted his shotgun and gestured to the complex. "Let's keep moving."

Kylar clapped a hand on his shoulder. "First, what the fuck was that about?"

"Forget it happened." Geirmund said, disappointment in his voice. Whether it was in what he did, or the fact that he failed Kylar couldn't tell.

"You can't do that, all right? You have a team. We do things together."

Geirmund shook free of his grasp and kept walking farther into the building.

Maya came up to Kylar after he left. "You tried." Was all she said.

They passed through a couple of rooms without much activity, all was quiet. No hostiles, no conversation. That was, until they entered a pitch black room. "Well, this looks promising." Ghost said as he appeared over Kylar's right shoulder. He quickly provided the group with a cone of light. Ghost's light was bright, but only shone in a limited direction. Kylar's muscles tensed. He didn't like this one bit. His steps were cautious, as were his teammate's.

Since Geirmund was in the front, his motion sensors went wild first. "Conta-" His voice was drowned out by the roar of something approaching. Footsteps pounded down the hall on the other side of the room they were in.

"Get ready!" Kylar yelled over the sound. A horde of thralls burst out into the room and Kylar opened fire. He raised Silence to head level of the group. Shotgun and scout rifle fire on either side of him. The trio whittled down the crowd pretty easily, but then the acolytes came out.

Kylar's shields got hit hard, the alarm ringing in his ears. He threw himself to his left and ended up behind a pillar. It had been so dark that he hadn't even noticed it. "There's cover along the sides!" He shouted to his squad mates, who quickly followed his advice. Gunfire pounded against the wall Kylar's back was pressed to. In the dim light, the muzzle flashes sporadically illuminated the room. An acolytes death cry sounded out in the room. Kylar almost forgot he was in combat.

He popped his head out and saw the glowing green eyes of an acolyte staring back at him. It fired and his shields blocked the impacts. With a well placed head shot the creature fell. Geirmund hefted his shotgun and charged forward, his shotgun blasts giving painting the back wall with light, and Hive blood. Geirmund stood panting in the doorway. As Kylar and Maya approached he gave them a thumbs up. Between breaths he wheezed

"Room's... clear."

The next room was the site of a battle between Fallen and Hive. The Hive had the clear advantage due to them outnumbering the Fallen, and their heavy support from a wizard in the adjoining room. As the team walked in, and burst of blue bolts of energy landed in the center of the trio, scattering them. Kylar dove into a roll, drawing his weapons as he came back up. Silence in his right, his knife in his left.

He broke into a sprint, forgetting everything except the battlefield. He raised his gun and shot a thrall before burying his knife in a dreg's stomach. He pulled it out with a spin, putting extra momentum into his next stab, the unfortunate victim being a vandal. It dropped its weapons and Kylar kept moving. He fired a few shots at the wizard before something stopped him. An acolyte had popped out from behind cover and hit Kylar in the chest with the butt of its rifle.

His momentum betrayed him by only making him hit the creature harder and he sprawled out on the ground. The acolyte raised its weapon to finish him off when it stumbled backward, blood spraying from its chest. More gunshots, and more blood. The creature fell and Maya offered Kylar a wave. "Remind me to buy you a drink later!" He called to her as he regained his footing. The wizard was all that remained.

The creature floated above them, its red robes billowing in the breeze its powers created. It launched another blast at Kylar, who sprinted out of the way. He dropped to his knees and pressed his back behind a crate. "What do we do?" He shouted to his allies.

The roar of Geirmund's shotgun sounded on the other side of the chamber and the wizard turned to face him. Geirmund disappeared behind a barrier, and emerged on the other side with a thrall clinging to his chest. The boom of his weapon sent the beast flying and it slammed against a wall. The room was clear save for the wizard.

Geirmund shouldered his shotgun in favor of his pulse rifle instead. The weapon's bursts of rounds did damage to the wizard's shields, but nothing substantial. Kylar put Silence back into its place on his hip and drew his sniper rifle to add to the barrage pounding on its shields.

"This isn't working!" Geirmund's voice came in Kylar's helmet.

"You're telling me. What do we do?"

"Allow me!" came the reply from Maya. He peeked his head over the box to see her fly into the air assisted by her powers and generate a ball of void energy in her hands. She pressed her hands together and then outward at the creature. It was hit square in the chest and was shot backward before disintegrating. As it fizzled out of existence the team regrouped where it once stood.

"Not bad for our first mission, huh?" Kylar said.

"Not bad indeed. I'm looking forward to that drink." Maya said clapping him on the shoulder.

Kylar chuckled. "Of course."

Geirmund just shook his head. "We're lucky to be alive. I don't know what we would've done without her Nova Bomb." He turned to Kylar and with an accusing finger, spoke again. "Did you have a plan? Or are you not fit to be our leader?"

Kylar was astonished. "Seriously? That's what this is about? You can be the fucking leader if you want, I don't care. I care about living until tomorrow, that's it." He turned and started to walk away. "I'll see you two back at the tower."

"Uh, Kylar?" He stopped. It was Maya who spoke, she didn't deserve his anger. 

"Yeah?" He kept his words short. He didn't want to say too much and take his frustration out on her.

"We need Ghost to call our ships down." Ghost appeared over Kylar's shoulder.

"I've already called them for you. They're waiting outside the complex." With that, Kylar vanished from the complex and was back in his Phaeton.


End file.
